I’m introducing some co-workers to the joys of role-playing. They have never played an RPG before, but have heard of D&D. At our Christmas Party, my hobby was brought up and when I explained it, there was sincere interest, so I offered to run a game at lunch in the New Year. I’m going to use my updated Sword’s Edge RPG even more streamlined than usual (I’m removing Background as an Aspect, which means there will just be fewer things for them to think about when acting).
I asked about their favourite movies, and then corrected myself and asked in which intellectual they would most like to be a hero. I got the Sound of Music and the Incredible Hulk.
My plan is to set it the game in 1938 Austria, as in the movie, but this is not exactly our world. There is super-science in this one. And the family are the ancestors of Victor Frankenstein’s mentor at the University of Ingolstadt. The colleague who wanted to be the Hulk is going to the eldest son in the family who was very sickly and might have died as a child, but his mother uncovered her ancestor’s research and science to save him. Now when he rages, he becomes more powerful, but loses most of his faculties.
My other colleague was thinking of playing a nun, but perhaps one who has spiritual powers and is able to communicate if not control the son when he is in his monstrous form. The Nazis are still seeking the father, or maybe the son, but now there is also the suspicion that the family is hiding secrets – which it absolutely is. The connection to Frankenstein’s mentor might be revealed as the Nazis seek weapons to use in the expected coming war.
We’ll see how this all plays out, but I’m excited both to explore this story and introduce new people to RPGs.